Harriman Nelson - Personal Life

Personal Life

In the series, Nelson is a lifelong bachelor (see "The Ghost of Moby Dick", season one, episode 14). His only living blood relative, a sister who was 'kidnapped' (although later it is found out that the person was actually an intelligence agent impersonating his sister) and held hostage in an attempt to get Nelson to release top-secret information. His place of birth is unknown, however his accent implies that either he or perhaps his parents were New Englanders. In author Theodore Sturgeon's novelization of the film Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Nelson is described as being part of a family involved in banking and philanthropy. His one known ancestor was an 18th century New England captain, who was of Irish ancestry, of a slave ship. Nelson has an extremely close relationship with Commander Lee Crane, which is alternately describes as "Father/son" or "Brotherly." The two trust each other implicitly, except when the script says differently.

It is perhaps only coincidental that his surname is the same of the great British naval hero of the Battle of Trafalgar - Admiral Horatio Nelson, and that his first name also begins with an H; or perhaps Irwin Allen thought the reference appropriate as the real Nelson is perhaps the most famous naval character in history. Maybe he is supposed to be a descendant of the 1800s seafarer?